Machine-gun mounting



Nov. 17, 1925- E. MARAZZI MACHINEGUN MOUNTING Filed May 26, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Lwemr Patented Nov. 17 1925.

PATENT OFFICE.

ETTORE MABAZZI, 0F MILAN, ITALY.

MACHINE-GUN MOUNTING.

Application filed May 26, 1924. Serial a... 716,054.

o To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, E'r'ronn MARAZZI, a subject of the Kingdom of Italy, and residing at Milan, Via Giason del Maine 13, in the Kin dom of Italy, have invented certain new ant useful Improvements in Machine- Gun Mountings, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an automatic mounting for machine guns so arranged that it may turn upon its axis and characterized by its capacity to automatically raise or lower the machine gun by pressure exercised by the pilot 'upon a seat which is a part of the appliance.

This action can be obtained by a system of pulleys one of which is attached to the seat manner that any movements of the seat are transmitted to the machine gun thus made to displace it vertically.

In order to allow the machine gun support to turn upon its vertical axis the whole of the movable part can be suspended from a fixed ring or fitted on to a specially designed baseion which it acts as a pivot. The former of said forms of construction is particularly suited for aeroplanes and air ships, whereas the latter is especially useful in the case of submarine chasers etc. v The invention may be better understood by referring to the annexed drawing, which shows the construction of the two types of support.

' p In said drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an autopletely lowered position;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of an automatic support for machine guns utilizin the pedestal principle of mounting, in said view the weapon being shown in its highest raised position;

Fig. 4 shown how the machine gun holder can be controlled by the pulley system;

Fig. 5 is. a detail in sectional view of the automatic support for machine of the kind utilizing thepedestal principle, that is like as illustrated on Figs. 2 and 3.

In all drawings the same numbers represent similar parts.

Referring to Fig. 1, -1- is a ring which is fixed by means of lugs 2 on to the aeroplane or-boat in which the machine gun support is fitted; -3- is a. ring movable on ring 1- and held in position by guides 4; 5 is a tube inside which slides tube 6 carrying at its extremity fork 7 into which is fitted the machine gun, said tube 5 being fixed to the movable ring 3; 8- is a framework made up of four tubes carrying the seat --9 by means of a steel piece -10-; --11 is a piece welded on the top end of tube 5- and which serves to fix this tube to ring 3-; 12 are tubular stays which are designed to strengthen the tube 5 14 are tubular stays connecting the framework 13 with the movable rings 3', said tubular stays 14 being strengthened by means of the stays -16; 17 is a pulley fixed under the seat 9-; 18. is a pulley mounted upon a lever 33- whlch is pivotally disposed upon one of the tubular stays -14, said lever 33 being apt to be fixed in its highest raised position upon this stay 12- by means of a taperv pin 34- (Fig. 4) 19- is a metallic cable passing upon the pulleys -17 and 18-- and fixed at the extremity of tube -6 21- is a cam lever which works on a sleeve -22-- attached to tube -5, this. I

latter being split in such a wav that on enin any desired position.

The whole of the ring -3, tube -5- tubular stays 12, framework 13- and tubular stays -14 forms the moving frame-' Work of the support. The seat 9 and tube 6 constitute the parts of thesupport which produce the vertical movement of the machine gun.

In the form of-construction illustrated in Figs. 2, and 3,. the tube 5- is fitted on to the cylinder 23- by means of piece 11 and stays 14. Piece -11 also serves for hinging the framework 8 to which in turn, as in the case of the type first described, isfixed the seat 9-..

Inside tube -5 slides the tube. .6'. carrying the fork 7-. The movement of 6 is controlled again by the cable -19-- .ing kept in position upon the ring 28 by means of two clips '39 connected together by bolts passing through lugs 30' as is indicated on Fig. 5). -'-31 and -3Q are holes for lubricating cylinders -23 and 25. I

The operation of the supports described is very simple.

In order to fire above, that is to point the, machine gun vertically the pilot rasps the machine gun and places his weight upon seat '9-, this immediately pulls the cable and makes'tube 6- slide upwards thus pivoting the machine gun and displacing the nozzle into a position nearing the vertical.

h In order to fire downwards it is only necessary to release the pressure from the seat when the weight of the machine gun will lower tube thus obtaining the necessary change in aim.

Obviously in each case the grip on the gun handle is lowered and raised respectively.

Any intermediate position of the machine gun may be easily obtained by the pilot,

. when he, without completely releasing the pressure from the seat, raises more or less his body from the same, in such a manner as to cause the seat to remain less or more brought down.

The machine gun may be fixed in any intermediate position by the use of cam 21; although in an aerial fight this is seldom necessary.

When the machine gun is not required. it may be lowered so that it does not offer unnecessary resistance. to the air by removing the taper pin 34. and turning the lever 33 with the pulley 18 in the lower position in which they are represented in dotted lines on Fig. 4; in such a manner as to release the tension of the cable 19-.

Obviously the details of construction may be varied considerably without departing from the general principle laid down in this invention.

The appliance described offers many vimportantadvantages over the supports hitherto used which generally rely upon springs or similar appliances for raising or lowering the machine gun and actuated by the hands of the pilot. Their mobility is not sulficiently great to make the rapid chan e of directing necessary with a fast moving ody such as an aeroplane,

The supports designed on this principle satisfy completely the modern requirements of aerial warfare, because owing to the rapidity with which it may be moved the aim of the gun can be kept constantly upon the object under fire, and by its use an intensity of fire may be kept up, impossible with other supports. 1 I

Another advantage lies in the fact that two or three machine guns may be mounted on the fork of the support provided their total weight does not exceed 88 lbs.

The machine guns may be fired together or may be used as reserve to one another.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my sa'id invention andin what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:

1. An automatic mounting for machine guns including amovable frame, a machine gun carrier slidable vertically in said frame. a vertically movable seat for-the gunner, and means connecting the seat with the carrier for effecting vertlca-l movement of the latter in response to movement of the seat.

guns including a-"mova ble frame, a machine gun carrier slidable vertically in said frame, a vertically movable seat for the gunner, and means connecting the seat with the carrier for effecting vertical movement of the latter in response to movement of the seat, said means acting to produce movement of the carrier in opposition to the movement of the seat. i

3. An automatic mounting for machine guns including a movable frame, a machine gun carrier slidable vertically in said frame. a vel'tically movable seat for the gunner, and means connectin the seat with the carrier for efi'ecting vertical movement of the latter in response to movement of the seat, said means including pulleys carried respectively by the frame and seat; and a flexible member extending over said pulley and having its ends secured to thegun carrier and frame, respectively.

4. A machine gun mounted as claimed in claim 1 characterized in that the movable frame is suspended from a fixed ring by means of a second ring forming part of the frame and mounted to turnabout the first 1 5. A machine gun mounted as claimed in claim 1 characterized by the provision'of a base including a cylindrical member constituting a support for the frame.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ETTORE MARAZZI.

2. An automatic I mounting for machine 

